EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — An FBI agent says it was just a mistake when he failed to disclose payments to an Ashland couple who provided information and testimony in the long-running legal battle over an Islamic charity and its leader.
Agent David Carroll said Tuesday in federal court in Eugene he believes that disclosing the payments wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the tax-fraud trial of Pete Seda.
But Seda’s lawyers argue for a new trial, saying it was misconduct not to disclose money given to Richard Cabral. He died before he could testify against Seda.
Cabral’s wife, Barbara, did testify. Carroll’s post-trial request to pay her was turned down by prosecutors.
Seda was convicted of helping to smuggle $150,000 to Saudi Arabia through the American branch of an Islamic charity in Ashland.
